Skid chain



April 6,1926. I 1,579,446 W. P. HAGEDORN SKID CHAIN Filed June 1, 1925mg mmm 1 N VEN TOR.

To all whom/it may; concern} Patented Apr. 6, i926.

ILLIAM r: naennomv, or bavrnronr, IOWA. I

SKID

Application ni d June 1, 1925. Sci-mine. 34,087.

Be itknown that I, WILiiAM. "Him DOItN, a 01 zen of the UnitedStatesfresidvinggat Davenport, in the county.

State of Iowa. have invented certain new. and; useful Improvements inSkidChains,

of Scott,

' of which the following s a specification.

' wheels an d then Generically my invention} relates to :im--

provements inconstructionand operation ofskid. chains meansforconnecting and more specifically to .the the ends of the sides of suchchains. Among thefobjects of my in-,

vention are to produce a 'constructionof thrcharacter stated which canbe applied to automobile wheels without the necessity of placingbackward until the chains can befastened;

' to produce-a device of the kind istated in' which a floating crosschain willautomatically moveinto its proper position with theadvancingmovementof the wheel; topro duce a. device of the .kindistated.in which av floating cross chain'will automatically move into its,proper position;- and V be automatically locked-therein; to; provideanimfurther objects,

. parts illustrated the accompanyingdrawconnecting bar for the v ablefor use with proved locking member for securing the ends of thefsidechains together;.-to-prov1de inc a structure ofthe character indicatedan improved hook and locking means and such advantages and capabilitiesaswill later more fully appear and. as are inherent in the {construction.disclosed.

. .My{invent1on further resides in the com-' bination, construction andarrangement of ing and, whileI'have 'shown ,therei re-. ferredembodiment of my inventionpI desire the same to be understood asillustratiye only and not as limiting said'invention. i

In the drawing annexed; hereto and forming a part'he're'of, Fig. 1 I

ends of one of the side chains of a'skid chain; Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view similarto Fig.

, 2 but showing the end link of a cross chain just about to drop intothe locking notch which .holds said cross chain in properly ad-. justedposition; Fig. 4 is a side view showing the link completely received bythe holding notch; Fig. 5 is a transverse section approximately alongtheplane indicated by the line 55, Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a view of one formof end link which 1S suitthe cross chains; Fig. 7 is the 'chalns on theground or on the" movlng the carv forward. or

- tac'hmnt of the i links is a side view of the erspective a viewsimilar to Fig.4 but 4 inclusive; and Fig. 8 is, a "fragmentary planview of apalr of. side barswith chains attached. i

Referring'niore in detail to. thesefdrawings, numeral 1 designates ,aconnecting link orsidebar designed for use uponjthe right. side of,agwheel. The correspondinglink on the same shape except that the. eye Arear endwill be' offset to the opposite side of thelinkandthechainreceivingslot and hook at thc opposite end. will also be re versed, toface in the opposite I direction. The laterally therein forthe receptionof an end link 1 of:one of the side chains as will bezreadilyunderstoodj At the opposite side of the link 1 is a hook 5 adapted toreceive alink of the other end of the side chain. A. member 6,U-shaped:in 'cross-section, is pivoted at 7 to the hooko' and isprovided with finger pieces 8 whereby itmay be manipulated-to open andclosed position. Y 1 [An ordinary cross ends with suitable links 9.,suclnfor example; as the one shownin Fig. 6 which has the eye 10 and thehook 11 arranged approximately @590 degrees to each other, inorder thatthe links of the chainmaylie fiat j during operation. Of course j, it isunderon the ground stood that the shape and structure of the link 9mustxvary according to the shape and structure "Q ftlle cross;chainfused, the one shownbeingparticularly adapted, for a coin monchainknow on themarket. When these links 9 are flppli, d to the ends ofthis chain;

I showing the-use of api'voted end hook instead .of an end h'ook rigidwith the sidebar as, shownin Figs. "1 to.

bar forum left sideof the wheel wouldilieof I fatthfef .chainisprovidedatits ,the hook's 11 are closed up to prevent-the de i a fromthe ends of the cross chain. Slot 12 opens through the upper part of thelink 1 into a slot 13 as shown. This device is so constructed thatpoints 14 and 15 project on opposite sides of the slot 12 shimsthepurpose of these projecting points.

From this figure it will be seen that the link 9, when it slides downtheside link 1, will engage the point 15 and will be prevented from goingfurther. The outer side of the loop 10 will'swing around past the point14 and the link will then drop through the notch or slot 12 into theslot 13 and will be held therein by the projecting points 14. and 15,asv will be evident from Figs. 4 and 7.

as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. Fig. 3'

The side bars or links 1 are preferably substantially flat on the sidetoward the tire, are broad as indicated at 16, across thetop edge, andare preferably hollow ground or substantially flat upon the outside as1nd1- cated at 17, being narrow at the bottom.

As indicated in Fig. the hook 5 is d 1spensed with and the loose hook 18is pivotally connected as at 19 to the end of the side bar 1. Thislatter is suitably enlarged as shown at 20 and slotted as indicated at21 for the reception of the hook 18. This latter carries a suitablelatch element 6 as in the previously described construction.

In use, the chains are placed over the top of the tires with the endscarrying my im- .provement at the rear side of the wheel,

the vacant ends of the side chains being at the front, as will beunderstood. The floating cross chainswill be at the rear ends of theside bars 1, as shown in Fig. '1 and the hooks 5 or 18 can then beconnected to the free ends of the side chains, the latches 6 beingclosed, as will be readily understood. Having thus applied all of thechains, the driver gets into his car and starts up as usual. As thewheels roll forward and the side bars 1 rise toward the positionindicated in Fig. 41, the cross chains slide clownwardly, carrying thelinks 9 toward the slots 12. When one side of the link 9 strikes theabutment 15 the link swings around past the point 14 and drops into thenotch 12. Having once been received in the slot 13 the points 14 and 15prevent accidental disconnection of the link 9 which is bound to remainalways within the slot 13. It. will thus be understood that the crosschain automatically seats itself in its proper place and prevents undueslack in the side chains which sometimes results when the cross chain ismissing. It will also be understood that, when the car is movingforwardly or backwardly, the cross chain must necessarily remain in itsproper position, as is not true when the cross chains are pulled intoplace and held there by gravity alone or by means of springs.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a skid chain, means rendering it possible to attach the chain to awheel, co1nprising a pair of bars for connecting the ends of the sidechains, in combination With a floating cross chain slidable on the bars,said bars having longitudinally arranged slots at one end whereby theends of the cross chain are received and held in proper operativeposition during the normal operation of the wheel.

2. In a structure of the character described, a pair of spaced sidechains, cross chains spaced at intervals along the side chains, barsconnecting the ends of the side chains, said bars each having adjacentone end a diagonally arranged slot for the reception of a cross chain,and a cross chain having its ends slidable on the bars and receivable inthe slots.

3. In a skid chain having a side chain, a curved bar for connecting theends of the side chain, said bar having in its upper surface a diagonalslot for the reception of a link of a cross-chain, a longitudinallyarranged slot within the bar and connected to the diagonal slot, and across-chain having a link surrounding the curved bar, slidable thereon,and receivable in the slots.

4. In a skid chain having a side chain, a curved bar for connecting theends of the side chain, said bar having adjacent one end a diagonal slotfor the reception and holding of a cross chain, and a cross chain havingan end link slidable on the curved bar and receivable in the said slot.

5. In a skid chain having a pair of side chains, bars for connecting theends of the respective side chains, said bars each having adjacent oneend locking means for the reception and holding of a cross chain, across chain connecting said bars and having a link at each end slidable.on the bars, said locking means having an opening therein requiring theend link of the cross chain to turn diagonally of the bar to enter thelocking means.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

WM. P. HAGEDORN.

